Tougher taxi regulations needed after grooming scandal, says government review

Tougher taxi regulations should be imposed to address flaws highlighted by child sexual exploitation scandals such as Rochdale’s, a new government review says.

The review, published on Monday (24 September) by the Department of Transport, calls for national standards to control licensing, compulsory visual and audio CCTV for all licensed taxis and public hire vehicles (PHV) and awareness training for child sexual abuse and exploitation.

Recommending more than 30 measures, the review also says that all journeys should start and/or end in the area for which the driver, vehicle and operator are licensed, meaning a loophole that lets drivers work in one area whilst being licensed elsewhere would be closed.

The numbers of hours driven by taxi and PHV drivers should be restricted, on the same safety grounds that restrict bus and lorry drivers.

Councils should also use their enforcement powers to take strong action when disabled access is refused, set up lists of wheelchair accessible vehicles, and require drivers to undergo disability equality and awareness and equality training.

It is illegal for a taxi or PHV driver to refuse to carry an assistance dog, unless the driver has obtained a medical exemption certificate from their licensing authority.

Despite this, a recent campaign by the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association indicates that nearly half of guide dog owners surveyed had experienced an access refusal in the past year.

A refusal to pick up Castleton resident Frank Salt and his guide dog in December 2016 cost taxi driver Ibrar Hussain over £600.

https://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/111539/refusal-to-pick-up-frank-salt-and-his-guide-dog-costs-taxi-driver-ibrar-hussain-over-%C2%A3600

A national database of all licensed vehicles, drivers and operators must be established ‘as a matter of urgency,’ whilst all drivers must be subject to enhanced DBS and barred lists checks.

Licensing authorities must also use the National Anti-Fraud Network (NAFN) register of drivers who have been refused or had revoked taxi or PHV driver licence and must retain the reasons for any refusal, suspension or revocation and provide those to other authorities (as appropriate).

Mark Widdup, director of neighbourhoods at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “We welcome the report’s recommendation that local authorities should have greater control over drivers operating within their area and support any changes to licensing laws nationally that strengthen the measures we have been taking to improve safety and protect the public.

“In 2014 we became the first council in England to carry out mandatory safeguarding training for all existing drivers. We continue to train all new drivers in safeguarding and have provided safeguarding training packages to other local authorities. 

“This has been a key piece of work in our robust approach to tackling CSE and we remain alert to licensing issues regionally and nationally.”

Professor Mohammed Abdel-Haq, Chairman of the Task and Finish Group on Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing, said: “It is clear that the status quo whereby taxi and PHV licensing is inconsistent, ineffective and incompatible with the protection of vulnerable people must not be allowed to continue.

“Alongside other incidents of criminality, the events in Rotherham, Rochdale, Oxford and elsewhere have brought the fundamental flaws in the licensing regime into the sharpest possible focus; these oblige uncompromising determination to make taxis and PHVs safe for all.

“I look forward to the Government’s prompt response to this report in order to maintain the momentum for improvement. Undue delay would risk public safety.”

MPs Tony Lloyd and Liz McInnes have been contacted for comment.